Science Informative Essay: Watson And Crick
October 2013 Science Informative Essay – Watson and Crick
What is DNA?
DNA is described as “a nucleic acid that carries the genetic information in the cell and is capable of self-reproduction and synthesis of RNA” at “The Free Dictionary”. According to nature.com, DNA is “a double-stranded helix, with the two [long chains of nucleotides] connected by hydrogen bonds.” It is the “molecule of life” and includes different amounts of the four bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine). Throughout the years, many other scientists have added to the study, but despite all the newfound knowledge, …show more content…
Many don’t know that this information is false. DNA was actually first discovered in the late 1860s by Friedrich Miescher, a Swiss chemist. He found a new compound he called “nuclein” from the nuclei of cells. This is now called nucleic acid, which is the “NA” part of DNA (deoxyribo-nucleic-acid). Earlier, a monk Gregor Mendel conducted a series of experiments with peas, and “his observations turned out to be closely connected to the finding of nuclein,” according to the “Noble Prize” website. He proved that certain traits we inherited in different “packages”, what we now call genes. Watson and Crick were attempting to discover the structure of DNA in the early 1950s at Cambridge University, racing against Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin at King’s College. Wilkins and Franklin used an experimental approach to the study, according to nobelprize.org, “using x-ray diffraction to understand the physical structure of the DNA molecule.” Most scientists studying the structure of DNA were using similar methods. However, Watson and Crick used stick-and-ball models, physically building them, to “test their ideas on the possible structure of DNA.” They wasted much time and work at one point, after being misled from Watson remembering a few specific numbers from Franklin’s speech about her new discoveries on DNA. Later, they took a crucial step, and suggested that “the molecule was
What is DNA?
DNA is described as “a nucleic acid that carries the genetic information in the cell and is capable of self-reproduction and synthesis of RNA” at “The Free Dictionary”. According to nature.com, DNA is “a double-stranded helix, with the two [long chains of nucleotides] connected by hydrogen bonds.” It is the “molecule of life” and includes different amounts of the four bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine). Throughout the years, many other scientists have added to the study, but despite all the newfound knowledge, …show more content…
Many don’t know that this information is false. DNA was actually first discovered in the late 1860s by Friedrich Miescher, a Swiss chemist. He found a new compound he called “nuclein” from the nuclei of cells. This is now called nucleic acid, which is the “NA” part of DNA (deoxyribo-nucleic-acid). Earlier, a monk Gregor Mendel conducted a series of experiments with peas, and “his observations turned out to be closely connected to the finding of nuclein,” according to the “Noble Prize” website. He proved that certain traits we inherited in different “packages”, what we now call genes. Watson and Crick were attempting to discover the structure of DNA in the early 1950s at Cambridge University, racing against Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin at King’s College. Wilkins and Franklin used an experimental approach to the study, according to nobelprize.org, “using x-ray diffraction to understand the physical structure of the DNA molecule.” Most scientists studying the structure of DNA were using similar methods. However, Watson and Crick used stick-and-ball models, physically building them, to “test their ideas on the possible structure of DNA.” They wasted much time and work at one point, after being misled from Watson remembering a few specific numbers from Franklin’s speech about her new discoveries on DNA. Later, they took a crucial step, and suggested that “the molecule was